ford gained 9% in february, its best month since 2007, followed by sales at gm, which grew 7%. chrysler sales rose 4%, while volkswagen sales ticked up 2.9% - its best month since 1973. toyota sales were up 4%. automakers say the sequester threat and gas prices brought a more moderate pace to sales numbers. unemployment is reaching record levels in europe. the latest data shows the jobless rate in the eurozone at 11.9%. economists suggest the extreme amount of people without jobs could prompt the european central bank to stimiulate the economy when it meets this week. one bright spot out of the eurozone - german manufacturing is up for a second month in a row. manufacturing momentum is also happening in the u.s. the ism factory index rose to 54.2, which means u.s. factories are working at their fastest pace in nearly 2 years. the rebound in the housing market, new car sales, plus a boost in overall business demand is behind the growth in production. consumers are taking a hit in the wallet. americans' incomes are down 3.6%, the most in 20 years. as higher taxes take hold of pay